A recent article in Lebanon by Robert Fisk for the Independent describes what’s happening to Lebanon’s mountains as “The Massacre of the Mountains”. The article tackles the ongoing destruction of mountains in Mayrouba and Tarshish but the issue is a much bigger one and nothing is being done to stop the damage.
Take a look at the new Harissa road all the way from Ain el Rihaneh. They basically cut the mountains, did not build proper side walks and destroyed some of the valleys around. Next thing you know, they are building a couple of residential projects and destroying whole mountains. One guy is building his own villa right inside one of the mountains and before you know it, the area will be filled with buildings, shops and malls.
The sad part is that this issue has attracted little interest, just like any other environment-related topic and no matter how much we shed light on the ongoing massacres, nothing will ever change without proper law enforcement. Fisk wants PM Hariri to stop this destruction, but it’s not up to Hariri. This is a crime all parties are involved in, just like everything else happening to this country.